How to change the keyboard shortcut. Tired of the standard key layout

It's not so easy to customize the language component of Windows 10. The keyboard layout options are somewhat hidden compared to previous versions. However, with a little understanding, adding a language, changing keyboard shortcuts, and much more will be a piece of cake.

What is a keyboard layout

Keyboard layout is an agreement on the correspondence of typographic symbols (letters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc.) of a written language to the keys of a computer keyboard, typewriter, or other device with which text is entered.

Wikipedia
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout

Simply put, a keyboard layout is the way the computer understands the commands that a user enters by pressing certain keys on the keyboard.

Almost every language has its own layouts created and adapted (corresponding keys with numbers, letters, symbols and hieroglyphs). In addition, when entering commands or text, the function keys Shift, Alt, Ctrl, CapsLok and others are often used. The Fn key has been added to built-in laptop keyboards for even greater functionality while reducing the number of keys.

The QWERTY layout first appeared in typewriters.

How to change keyboard layout on Windows 10

Changing the keyboard layout is very simple: there are several possible ways to do this, for greater convenience for each user: hot keys, language bar and special utilities.

Special programs

Several programs have been created for Windows to switch layouts. Moreover, some of them have additional functions, such as automatically switching languages, correcting words by translating them between languages, and much more.

Punto Switcher

Punto Switcher is rightfully considered the best program for working with language layouts for Windows. The utility has a lot of built-in functionality, it can automatically switch layouts, correct words and much more. Another big advantage is the ability to set your own hotkeys to change the language. The user can write text in two layouts at the same time and not bother with switching; the program will do everything for him.

Punto Switcher is an advanced program for working with text and layouts

As an author of articles, I work a lot with texts, publications and other content, so I often use programs for checking and processing text in my craft. Punto Switcher is one of the first applications that is installed on my PC after reinstalling the operating system. Sometimes you even feel dependent on the program, it helps so much when typing. Of course, there are some oddities; after all, the program cannot take into account everything, and some normal words can be translated into English. Therefore, when using such programs, it is necessary to monitor their operation.

Keyboard Ninja

Another well-known program is Keyboard Ninja. The utility has many settings in which you can get lost. However, the program is quite easy to customize if you get used to it. The main features are similar to their analogues: text transcription, automatic replacement of layouts, custom hotkeys, correction of typos when typing words, and much more.

Keyboard Ninja is a well-known program for working with layouts and text

How to add a layout and an additional language to a layout

Windows does not limit the user to the number of possible layouts; they can be added and removed as desired.

To add a layout, click on the language bar and select “Language Settings”. Click on the language bar and select
In the settings window that opens, click on “Add a language.”
In the options window that opens, select “Add language”
Carefully select the layout and click “Next”. Carefully select the layout language and click “Next”
Uncheck “Set as Windows interface language” (or leave it if you want the operating system language to switch to the selected language) and click “Install”. Select language components and click “Install”
Once the packages are downloaded, they will be installed and available along with the previous layouts.
All added languages will be displayed in a list immediately after installation

You can also add another “keyboard” to the language layout. In this case, switching between languages will occur through the Ctrl+Shift key combination on the left.

Video: how to add and remove a language from a layout

How to reassign the keyboard shortcut to change layouts on Windows 10

In Windows, it is possible to reassign hot keys using standard tools to change the language layout. Unfortunately, these settings are hidden deeper than in previous versions.

Open the language bar settings, as shown above, click the “Advanced keyboard options” link.
In the column on the right, click “Advanced keyboard options”
Then select “Language Bar Options”.
Click the link “Language Bar Options”
Next, in the “Languages and text input services” window, go to the “Switch keyboard” tab and click on “Change keyboard shortcut”.
Switch the toggle switches to the required values and save the changes with the OK button

How to change the combination to switch the language on the lock screen

Unfortunately, Windows does not have an interface in the settings of which you can change the hotkeys to switch the language on the lock screen. But this can be done through the command line terminal with one line.

Customizing the keyboard layout for yourself is very simple. You just need to dig a little into the parameters and change some settings.

Users who are used to working with Windows 7 will probably want to change the keyboard layout switching combination after switching to Windows 7. The fact is that the Ctrl+Shift combination does not work in the new OS. Therefore, many will be interested in learning how to change the keyboard layout on Windows 10.

Standard layout switching

In Windows 10, there are two combinations for switching:

Windows button + spacebar;
Alt + Shift.

Second option → click LMB on the language indicator, which is located on the taskbar, and select the desired language from it.

Change combination

Windows 10 gives the user the opportunity to select a different combination to change the input language.

For Windows desktop environment

Changing the buttons responsible for switching layouts in the “ten” is not as easy as it is in earlier versions of the OS.

Look at the video to see how else you can get to the Language window and change the combination to change the keyboard layout.

For the login screen

The changes you made do not work when you select a language on the login screen. To fix this, you need:

Conclusion

Changing the keyboard shortcut to switch the input language in Windows 10 is done in the Language window. Also in this window you can change the method of switching the layout for the login screen.

You still don’t know how to set up hot keys on Windows 7, and why are they needed? Hotkeys on Windows 7 are necessary for ease of use of the operating system. They help you quickly perform various operations on your computer by pressing a certain combination.

The operating system contains a built-in database of such commands; they are used by default. Some of them can be changed programmatically or assigned independently.

How to find a list of hotkeys

A list of keyboard shortcuts for quickly operating the OS is available in the Windows Help system. You can find out the entire list of Windows 7 hotkeys by calling the MS Office Help window using the Win + F1 key combination.

Please remember that you will need an internet connection to use the help.

Next, from the list provided by the search engine, you can select the item of interest, for example, “Hot keys and shortcuts.” A website page will open in the browser, which contains descriptions of frequently used keyboard shortcuts.

The second way: you can find hotkeys on a laptop with Windows 7 using the built-in “Help and Support”. In this case, no Internet connection is required. Help is available in the “Main Menu”. Then the necessary information is selected from the list using the “Keyboard shortcut” request.

If you select the “Keyboard shortcuts” section through “Help and Support”, we will get all the necessary information. Descriptions of all possible combinations of hot buttons are divided into topics, which makes searching easier.

The keys are designed for quickly searching and editing texts in MS Office, performing any operation on the desktop without using a mouse, calling and closing a program, and other commands specified by the user. All described keyboard shortcuts are configured by default.

Default button combinations allow you to control OS objects. Secret Windows 7 hotkeys:

SHIFT+DELETE allows you to delete files from your hard drive without placing them in the Recycle Bin;
ALT+F4 or Ctrl + W closes the active program or file;
Ctrl + Shift + Esc brings up the task manager;
Win + F opens a search window;
Win + L locks the computer;
ALT+TAB allows you to move from one open file or window to another;
CTRL + mouse scroll wheel allows you to change the size of desktop icons;
Win + G places gadgets on top of open windows;
Win + Home allows you to minimize windows except the active one;
Ctrl + P submits documents for printing;
Win + X brings up the “Mobility Center” on the laptop;
Win + M minimizes open windows;
Shift + Ctrl + N allows you to create an empty folder.

How to assign hotkeys

Setting up Windows 7 hotkeys is usually done for programs that are frequently used by the user. Assigning hot keys is done through the “Main Menu” or the shortcut to “ “.

Assigning hot keys in Windows 7 is not difficult; to do this, you need to go to the “Properties” section of the selected program through a shortcut on the “Desktop” or “Main Menu”. In the “Shortcut” tab, place the cursor in the “Shortcut” line. When you simultaneously press the CTRL or ALT key and the desired letter of the Latin alphabet, the combination CTRL+ALT+selected letter is specified.

Please remember: if the combination used was previously assigned by default by the system, after completing this setup, you can change the Windows 7 hotkeys.

After pressing the assigned key combination, the specified program will open instead of the previously performed default action.

The Windows 10 operating system has several ways to change the layout. Users of previous versions of the OS who have switched to ten may want to change the key combinations that are responsible for switching the language, since the usual combination Ctrl + Shift does not work here. Today we will be talking about changing the keyboard layout in Windows 10.

You can use one of the following methods:

using built-in functionality;
using a third party program.

Our article discusses all options in the form of step-by-step instructions. Let's start with the built-in capabilities of the operating system.

By default, you can use three ways to change the language on the keyboard:

key combination Win + Space;
Alt + Shift ;
using the mouse and tray icon.

With the first two methods everything is very clear. You press the keys simultaneously (or hold down one button, then another), after which the layout of the keyboard changes. By default, the operating system has English and Russian languages.

When using Alt + Shift, the language changes in the background, and Win + Space is accompanied by the window assistant on the desktop in this form.

The last method can be discussed in more detail:

Right-click on the Start icon.

In the context menu, select RUS or ENG.

Ready! Now you can change the layout yourself in any of the ways.

Reassigning a combination

By default, these button combinations work in the operating system workspace and on the login screen. However, you need to change them for each screen in different places. Let's figure out how to do this.

First you need to change the combination for your production environment.

First of all, open the Control Panel. You can do this by searching in the Start menu.

Switch the display of icons to large icons.

In the left column, open the Advanced Options window.

Next, go to “Change language bar keyboard shortcuts.”

Here you can choose which buttons will change the language, and also assign individual keys to turn on the English or Russian layout. Click on "Change keyboard shortcut".

In the settings window, select a combination from those offered and click “OK”.

With this feature, you can customize input controls to suit your needs. Now you need to bind these settings to the OS login screen:

In the “Advanced Settings” section, click on the button marked in the screenshot.

Below, check the boxes for the items marked in the screenshot. There is also an option to apply the new settings to all accounts. Click OK to apply the changes.

You can switch using such settings only with predefined combinations. But what to do if you have a laptop with a non-standard layout or important buttons are broken? In this case, third-party software can come to the rescue, which we will talk about later.

This utility will help you switch any keys and change their places. A very useful feature for those who have problems with some of the buttons on their laptop keyboard. You can download the program from this link completely free of charge.

After downloading, unzip the archive to any folder on your hard drive and run the executive file. No installation required. The program window looks like this.

To change the keys, follow all the steps presented sequentially:

LMB on the desired button on the keyboard to highlight it.

At the bottom of the screen, next to “Remap selected key to,” open the list and select a new value for the button.

The changed key is highlighted in green. You can view its new value by hovering the cursor.

To return everything back, you need to click on “Reset keyboard layout” (1), and using “Save layout” (2) you can save the changes to a separate file.

The program is an automatic switch, with which you will not have to think about replacing buttons. You can download the application from the link.

The essence of the utility is to monitor your typing on the current layout and change it if you type an incoherent set of letters (for example, instead of the word “Hello” you will write “Ghbdtn”).

Run the installer and follow the instructions:

First you need to select a directory to install the program.

After installation, a blue Punto Switcher icon will appear in the tray.

Right-click on it and select “Settings” from the menu.

In Settings, select the General tab. Here, check the “Switch by” box.

By checking the box next to "Advanced switch by" you can change the combination to switch between specific languages.

To enable automatic language change, right-click on the application icon in the tray and select “Auto switch” from the menu. Now you don't have to worry about typing text incorrectly or in a different language. The function will be very useful for those who look at the keyboard while typing, and not at the computer monitor.

If you use a Windows 10 device with a touch screen, then before changing the key combinations, you need to set it to turn on automatically. To do this, just go to “Settings” - “Devices”. In the “Input” tab, set the “Automatic display of the touch keyboard...” item to the “On” position.

Now you know all the current ways to switch the keyboard and can change the key combination to change the layout in any conditions.

Video

We also have a video that duplicates what is written in the article.

Basically, difficulties with hotkeys arise when you have to frequently use the buttons while working. For example, when changing the language from English to Russian. Setting the required key combination will save the unlucky user from unpleasant moments and searching for options. Let's talk right now about how to change the keys.

In the Customize dialog box, you can easily rearrange or change toolbar keys, menu commands, or the menu itself. Experts have developed instructions for changing settings using the mouse or keyboard. We will tell you about all the options. First, we'll tell you how to change the key assignments for opening a dialog box using the mouse.

Simple ways

There are three such methods.

Option 1

In the Tools menu, select the “Settings” command.
The toolbar you want to change must be visible.
In the “Settings” window, go to “Toolbars”.
Mark the toolbar that you want to display.
In the “Settings” window, select the “Commands” tab.

Option 2

Click the toolbar button.
In the Settings window, on the Commands tab, click Edit Selected Object.
Press ENTER.
In the “Settings” window, click “Close”.

Option 3

Change the keyboard shortcuts for the menu command:

Select a menu command.
In the “Settings” window, click “Edit selected object”.
In the “Context Menu Name” column, enter the name of the desired toolbar button by pressing the ampersand (&) in front of the letter to which you are going to assign the value of the shortcut key.
Press ENTER and then “Close” in the “Settings” window

How to change keyboard keys using the keyboard

There are only two options to do this.

Option 1

Press ALT + E (Russian), enter “n”. This will open the Settings window.
The toolbar you are going to change must be visible.
In the “Settings” window, press ALT + I. This will open the “Toolbars” tab.
Use the arrow buttons to select the toolbar. Now press SPACEBAR to select the toolbar.
In the “Settings” window, press ALT + K (Russian) to open the “Commands” tab.

Option 2

Press the ALT + R keys to open the “Rearrange Commands” window
Using the arrow keys to select, find the “Toolbar”.
Press the TAB key and navigate to the Toolbar list, then use the arrow buttons to select the key you want to change. Press ENTER.
Press TAB to move to the Controls list and use the arrow keys to select the button you want to change.
Press ALT + Y to select “Edit selected object”.
Press TAB and move to the “Context Menu Name” field. Enter the name of the desired toolbar button by pressing the ampersand (&) in front of the letter to which you are going to assign the value of the shortcut key.
Press ENTER.
Use TAB to move to the “Close” button and press ENTER.

Changing the keys through "Start"

To change some key combinations, you can also use the standard Start menu. We'll tell you how to change hotkeys, for example, to quickly switch from one language to another.

Select Settings from the Start menu
Then - “Control Panel”
Next - “Language and Regional Standards”
Then we’ll go through the path “Languages” - “More details” - “Keyboard options” - and “Change keyboard shortcuts”.
In the window that appears, select the key combination that seems most convenient: Alt+Shift or Ctrl+Shift.
Click “OK” in all open windows.

Now you know how to change the keyboard shortcut on your PC in all convenient ways. Have a nice work!